Phaedon Paris

Phaedon Paris is a French niche perfume house that emerged from the ideas of two Parisian aesthetes, A. Philippe and M. Stromberg, who are described by the brand as avid travellers and admirers of ancient cultures. Their project took shape in the mid‑2000s with the rise of niche perfumery, and the first Phaedon fragrances were launched in 2011. The name references Phaedo of Elis, a historical figure associated with Socrates, reflecting the founders’ interest in classical antiquity.

In 2013, master perfumer Pierre Guillaume took the creative lead and relaunched Phaedon with a new visual identity and an expanded line. Sources such as Parfumo and Kafkaesque note that the brand initially offered a small group of eau de toilettes, then added a series of “high concentration” eaux de parfum at around 30 percent concentration to address earlier complaints about longevity. Phaedon’s collection now includes both personal fragrances and highly concentrated home scents and candles, all produced in France.

Aesthetically, Phaedon describes its style as a form of baroque naturalism, drawing on a dreamlike bestiary, Mediterranean and Asian inspirations, and motifs such as fig leaf, iris, reeds and Etruscan imagery. Signature compositions like Menthe & Figuier illustrate this approach by pairing fig with aromatic mint in a clear, graphic manner. The house frequently works with Pierre Guillaume and a small group of collaborators to create relatively streamlined but characterful formulas that sit firmly in the niche segment rather than mainstream designer perfumery.